Disappointed with Festive Cooking Class

[stacelee]

There were over 90 people at the class here in Brisbane for Cyndi....they actually admitted that they had over booked....but did not apologise for it which I though was a little rude.  There were a few things I didn't like about it including being told to try and sell a thermomix to the person next to me if they didn't have one.......the silly thing was it was my mother who was sitting next to me who doesn't have one and was thinking about getting one....she is now so disgusted after the class that she won't consider it.  The class just left a bad taste in my mouth....we left as soon as we could.

Just so noone thinks I am just b**ching here....everything I have posted, I have given as feedback to Thermomix, both on the class feedback form and in a survey that I was emailed a few days ago.  I don't want anyone to think that I am just b**ching here for the sake of b**ching.  I have raved about how wonderful the thermomix is to many of our customers.....we deal with everyone from the little local takeaways to five star hotels.  I am now hoping that my husband will bring one of the new Kenwoods into stock so that I can have a look at it.....I might have a different machine to recommend to customers.

[quirkycooking]

Your classes sound really great Jo and good value for money. Perhaps you should do a Christmas road show and tour the country next year. 

Stacelee I think you have hit the nail on the head.  It doesn't work to combine "classes" with "selling".  We are all sick of seeing the basics over and over again in "classes".  In my opinion "Introduction to Thermomix" evenings should be held regularly but also 3-4 actual "Cooking Classes" throughout the year for thermomix users.  Even if we had to pay $50 (or more) per ticket to cover the costs involved (including the consultants time) I am sure there would be many people keen to attend.  Classes in Delicious Desserts, Beyond the Basics in Bread, Scrumptious Starters!!!  Now that would appeal to me!

It's funny, I actually forgot to mention anything about buying a machine at our class  - as everyone was leaving I had a customer say "you should let them know how to get one!!"... oops!  (I'm still new at running classes - I'll be doing my junior group leader training in Feb next year.)  I think it's important to focus more on the actual cooking and how the machine works and how wonderful it is, and just have a great time!! - and I find people come to me asking how they can order!  I'm not a salesman, that's for sure.  I just love good food and healthy cooking - and I think if you have a passion for what you're doing it naturally makes people want to know more - you don't have to do the 'hard sell' on them!!!  Like you Stacelee, I think it turns people off.

A road show sounds fun, Chelsea!  I really want to take the kids travelling around Australia... hmmm... 

[JaneeZee]

I understand your frustration Stacelee - not perceived as b*tching at all.  The company can't improve without feedback & as you've indicated they will alienate existing & potential customers if they don't take feedback on board.  It's an inherent problem with the business model when HO want one thing to occur but the consultants are the face of the company & want to look after their customers.  Without keeping customers happy it makes it incredibly hard to keep a business going at any level.

I think the message you are getting from Jo & I is that every class is different & depends to some extent on who is running it.  I remember asking Thermomixer why he kept coming to classes & he said that he often learned one little thing that made it worthwhile.  It might be just mingling with other users at the end which makes it worthwhile for you.

I'm really sorry you have had negative experiences & I know you're not alone.  Hopefully there are at least as many good classes as bad ones.

I love Chelsea's idea of basic & then advanced classes......just not certain how they would go logistically as so much is proscribed by HO.

[stacelee]

I think you have just hit the nail on the head JaneeZee for me with the selling model that HO uses......HO preventing the product from being demonstrated in the most suitable way for the situation.  I obviously don't know what you are or are not allowed to do as I am not a consultant but I know that most of our customers would be extremely unimpressed if we told them that they couldn't buy one of our pizza ovens, robot coupes etc without having a demo with five people.  We quite often have customers come into our showroom with "product" to be put through a machine to see if it will work for them. 

We also arrange for our supplier's reps to go out to see the customer or our salespeople go out to see them.....and it can be about machines that are in the same price as the thermomix.  I realise that that is probably not a reasonable expectation of consultants in the marketing model that HO are using but surely they are limiting their sales by the way that it is marketed.

I don't know if I am expressing myself well, but I know that when I first heard about the Thermomix, I put it in the too hard basket as I didn't want to host a demo as it was all too much for me at the time.  Luckily someone else was interested and hosted the demo instead.  I was then almost turned off again when I had to wait about three weeks for delivery....it gave me lots of time to wonder whether I had made a very expensive mistake.  There was definately no instant gratification involved.  This is where I have to wonder if "other" machines will end up doing better....no demo, instant gratification (in many instances you would be able to walk into a shop and walk out with it....it takes us maybe 24 to 48 hours to source most of our small appliances if we don't have them in stock) and ease of buying accessories.

I'm probably just venting but I hope something of what I've said is of use to those who are consultants.....I wonder how many people are turned off because they don't have a helpful person around to host a demo.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I love Chelsea's idea of basic & then advanced classes......just not certain how they would go logistically as so much is proscribed by HO.

I think the changes need to come from HO. The advanced classes could be the same across the country.  The special advanced recipes could be devised by the recipe developers, the recipe booklets made up at HO and all of the necessary info sent to consultants so they could practice the recipes and arrange the classes. Even it were twice a year, it would still be better than just the back to basic and festive classes. 

[wombleydoo]

I didn't get a chance to put my feedback on the form because they rushed us to fill them out "or we'd miss out on the gifts". I did email HO today as well, so hopefully that will make a difference.

It would be good to have some more focussed, maybe smaller classes, where we could BYO Thermomix and all cook together. Then you could ask questions and actually do it yourself. I suppose though, I've had my thermomix for a few years, so I don't really know what I want to learn LOL. I just like getting inspired with new ideas. I really just attended because my family and friends are new owners and I wanted them to be encouraged and inspired.

[stacelee]

It would be good if you could set up a lunch/dinner club......get a few people together with thermomixers......try out recipes, cook together, eat together, have a few drinks.  I would love the opportunity to get to know other local people who have thermomixers, swap recipes or even try out recipes that we have seen on here.  Something casual....and enjoyable

[quirkycooking]

That sounds like a good idea, Stacelee!!

[brazen20au]

Any venue suggestions for SE Melbourne would be much appreciated.

no ideas on prices but what about TAFE colleges, school kitchens etc? anywhere that is a teaching kitchen (with amirror over the cooking area) would be great

[judydawn]

Personally I don't feel there is any need for hard sell at cooking classes Jo so yours sound perfect to me. As we all know, the machine sells itself.

[JaneeZee]

[/quote]no ideas on prices but what about TAFE colleges, school kitchens etc? anywhere that is a teaching kitchen (with amirror over the cooking area) would be great
[/quote]

Hi Karen.  Yes I've got a potential here - just got to sweet-talk the principal!!!  They don't usually rent out the room to externals & the after hours part could be a concern.....I'll keep my fingers crossed & hope.

[Debbiebillg]

I too was opposed to the home demo, however I decided to buy a TMX after seeing a very close friend with one and then spending hours reading thru this forum.  The forum was what really sold it to me.  No sales pitch ! I don't like being sold to, if I like it I will make my own mind up. I actually bought my TMX thru ebay direct from Germany. I later decided to have a demo and was very up front with the consultant that I had already bought it on ebay, she was okay with it. On the night though she turned up with her GL who I wasn't at all impressed with.  I had 14 people at the demo and another demo was later booked via mine and the consultant made a sale at that demo. Her follow up service to the lady who bought one has been appalling ! (Funnily enough when I told her I bought one on Ebay prior to the demo, follow up service was something she told me I would really miss, bit of a joke really). I haven't been to a cooking class, the forum has been my cooking classes !

I absolutely love my TMX and sing its praises to everyone but I don't like the way they sell thru demos either as some consultants are letting the company and the product down I feel. In saying that, I don't really recommend my friends buy the way I did. I use ebay a lot and knew every avenue I needed to know to protect myself if something went wrong. I wouldn't buy one for someone else either as if anything did go wrong I'd feel responsible.

TBH I feel that to pay $30 to go along to a "cooking class" and have the sales pitch shoved down my throat would really annoy me especially given that there would be a high percentage of existing owners. I would expect to walk away having learnt something ! To me if it was going to be a sales pitch, then why should you pay for it really ?

Just my opinion. I've just had an eye operation today and may be suffering from the after-effects of a general anaesthetic (sp?), so might have to read this again tomorrow and delete it LOL.

Debbie

[Katya]

It's such a shame that Australia has this sales model for the Thermomix.   In the UK it seems much more relaxed and you can order one direct from HQ without having to have a demo.

In fact, a friend with whom I will be spending Christmas has just ordered one for herself (yipeee!!!) and I will be showing her how to use it over the Christmas period.  UK Thermomix were perfectly happy with this arrangement.

What's more, you can order any cookbook you want from the UK Office and they will post it to you.

It does probably mean that less people buy TMXs here than over there, but on the other hand, anyone who does buy is very happy with the support they get.   We don't have consultants in the same way but if you have questions, you can just ring Head Office.

[Caroline J]

I am just back from a festive cooking class (Manning, Perth) and it was fantastic  .  A simple show of hands at the start of the session showed that everyone in the room already had a TMX, and there was no sell at all, and it would have been silly if there was, we were all converts!

$30 covered the Festive Cooking cookbook, printed recipes of all the additional ones done, and lots of food. I hadn't eaten dinner, and I walked out stuffed  .  I really liked most of the recipes, and it certainly gave me lots of inspiration for cooking over the Christmas period.  There were a lot of recipes I would never have tried if I hadn't seen them or tasted them, so for me, it was well worth the $30.

The recipes were all presented by different consultants, and they shared tips and tweaks for the recipes, and general use of the TMX.  Everyone was very friendly and upbeat, and it all ran really smoothly and professionally. 

It is such a shame that people have been disappointed with this cooking class, I don't imagine anyone who attended the one I did would have said that.  In fact, I knew 7 people there, and we all thought it was great.  They also gave me a booklet for a friend who couldn't attend as she had just had a baby

[Caroline J]

Oh, and I would have been mightily peeved if I went to a cooking class and saw how to make a sorbet!